Sheep numbers were down by 4.9% in June 2023 according to the latest compiled data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The CSO has today, Wednesday, March 27, 2024 released the Crops and Livestock Survey Final Results June 2023.
Commenting on the release, statistician in the Agriculture Division of the CSO, Sophie Emerson said: “The final results for June 2023 show that the total number of sheep in the country decreased by 293,200 (-4.9%) to 5,674,400 when compared with June 2022.
“The number of other sheep fell by 288,900 (-9.9%) to 2,624,800,” she added.
This data relates to estimates of land utilisation and livestock numbers in June 2023 at state and regional level.
The estimates for sheep and pigs are based on returns from the 2023 June sample survey of agricultural holdings and the June 2023 Pig Survey conducted by the CSO.
The estimates for cattle and for crops are obtained from administrative data from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF).
Farms where the agricultural area used was at least 1ha are included in the June Agricultural Sample Survey.
Farms with less than 1ha may also be included if they were engaged in intensive production, according to the CSO.
CSO figures for other livestock
The total number of cattle in the country decreased by 54,700 (-0.7%) to 7,341,500 when compared with June 2022, according to the CSO data, with the highest numbers being recorded in the south of the country.
The total number of dairy cows grew by 19,300 (+1.2%) while the total number of ‘other cows’ fell by 41,000 (-4.5%).
The total number of cattle aged two years and over rose by 56,100 (+7.6%) in the year since 2022, while the total number of cattle under two years fell by 87,200 (-2.1%).
A regional analysis of the livestock numbers shows that the largest number of cattle (1,472,600) was in the mid-west region, the largest number of sheep (1,623.900) was in the west region and the largest number of pigs (498,900) was in the midlands region.
The total pig numbers increased by 26,500 (+1.6%) to 1,661,300 and similarly, ‘other pigs’ rose by 18,100 (+1.2%) to 1,515,700. The highest numbers were seen in the southern region.